“What did you come to discuss?” I asked, making sure that my gaze was locked directly to his. My father always told me that intimidating men usually backed down if you stood up to them. Shoulders back, head high.
“How is your apartment search going?”
“Pretty poorly,” I said, not sure why he was asking. “I’m not sure why that is a concern of yours.”
“I own the Shephard Lodge.” He said, matter of factly, an arrogant smile forming smoothly on his full lips.
“Are you offering me one of the cabins?” I asked. “Rita said that you could help me, but after our encounter at the diner, I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested.”
“I wasn’t at first, but it would be really unneighborly of me if I let you live with the crazy lady for a prolonged period of time.”
“Dolly isn’t that bad.”
“Oh?” He asked, his smile getting larger. “So you’re good with living with her for the remainder of the school year?” He knew he had me. He leaned against my desk, crossing his ankles. I couldn’t help noticing how handsome he looked in his uniform.
“Well, some extra space would be nice.”
“You’ll have all the space you’ll need up there.”
“When would I be able to move in? Do I need furniture?” I asked, panicked over imagining the kind of condition this cabin might be in.
“It’ll be furnished,” he said before looking me up and down. “But it may not be up to your speed. I don’t own toddler decor.”
“Ha ha ha,” I said, right before the bell rang and the students started piling into the classroom. “Now, if you’d excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
“How about I pick you up Friday night so you can take a look around the land and your cabin?” He asked. I nodded my head, and he walked out, making my eyes wander right to his taut behind.
Chapter 3
“My place is remote. Rita’s been telling me I need to get a security system up here in case anything happens, but it’s just me and the bears for miles and miles. If anyone has an issue in this town, I’m the guy they call. So I figured I’m my own best security.”
Miss Winters’ eyes grew large when we pulled down my two-track path of a driveway. “Wow.”
I nodded, palms prickling at just the near proximity of her in the cab of my truck. I’d only picked her up ten minutes ago from school. Why it felt like she stole all of the oxygen out of my truck as soon as she’d slid inside had made me wonder.
I couldn’t stop thinking of the way the wind had caught her dress and spun it around her thighs when she’d crawled up into my truck. I’d cursed the lack of control which led to my immediate erection.
Little Miss Sunshine and Rainbows had been my undoing all week with just the thought of seeing her again.
And now here we were, together again.
“You have a dog?” Her grin grew wider when we turned the final curve and pulled to a slow halt in front of my garage.
“Yeah, he’s a Shephard mix and grouchy as fuck. I wouldn’t get too close.”
But I was too late, she was already out the door and crouching to Bruno’s level. I launched out of the truck, prepared to pull the old grouch off of our new guest when I came around the truck and paused, his tongue already at work licking her pretty face.
“He doesn’t seem unfriendly to me,” she giggled and scratched behind his ears as he continued to lick and wag his tail. “Maybe you’ve been projecting your crabby attitude on the poor guy this whole time.”
My smile turned to a frown.
“Come on, you old bastard, let her be.” I pulled Bruno away from Miss. Winters and whistled once to shoo him off.
He only ignored me, eyes glued to her until she bent to scratch him behind the ear again. He whined once, laying in the dirt and rolling on his back to offer up his belly.
“Oh, look at this big baby.” She laid down beside him on the ground, dust gathering on her pretty dress decorated in little white kitty cats.
“He….” I pushed a hand over my head. “He doesn’t like anyone like that.” I reached a hand down to help her out of the dirt, but she just smiled with a shake of her head and went on petting and loving on my boy.
Why I was suddenly feeling jealous of my dog was a whole other issue.
“Well, your cabin is just over here.” I nodded around the back of my garage.
“I have to say,” she grinned up at me, sunlight playing off all the soft angles of her face, “I knew I was going to be in for some nature, but this is nature with a capital N.”